Oral history interview with Vincent Merialdo conducted by Louis Kalish on January 26, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Merialdo discusses being a part of the legalization of gambling in Las Vegas, Nevada. Merialdo also talks about the growth of gambling and how it was good for the economy at the time. He later shares what the Las Vegas Strip was like before it became what it was at the time of the interview.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with William J. Moore Jr. conducted by Elizabeth Nelson Patrick on May 05, 1981 and August 29, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In these interviews, Moore discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1941 to design and build the Last Frontier Hotel. Moore describes his work as an architect and recalls the other hotels he helped design. He then discusses purchasing mines in order to obtain their electrical components. Moore later discusses promoting and advertising for the Griffith theater chain and explains how he promoted before telecommunications. Later, Moore explains the designs of some of the structures he helped build. Lastly, Moore discusses the groups and organizations he was a member of, and recalls some of his memorable accomplishments.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Merle Frehner conducted by Elisabeth Nelson Patrick January 17, 1981 and January 19, 1981 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In the first interview, Frehner talks about his upbringing in Littlefield, Arizona and moving to St. Thomas, Nevada. He talks about driving heavy-duty freight wagons, transporting mining supplies, and the formation of a school district in St. Thomas. Frehner remembers the entertainment in St. Thomas during the 1920s, recreational activities, and commuting to Overton, Nevada to attend high school. Lastly, Frehner describes the local businesses in St. Thomas, miners residing in the town, and the town’s growing popularity after the construction of Arrowhead Trail (U. S. Highway 91). In the last interview, Frehner discusses transporting produce to Las Vegas, Nevada and Tonopah, Nevada during the late 1920s, the construction of Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead water levels overtaking St. Thomas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Karin Sporn conducted by Claytee D. White on May 25, 2023 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Karin Sporn grew up in Germany when her father was a member of Hitler's army. As a young woman, she converted to Judaism, and she shares how it was a difficult path. Much of her study and sacred rituals were done in Israel, and she shares that many signs along the way gave her encouragement, and she learned from others around her in Israel who shared their stories with Sporn. Eventually, her travel business brought her to Las Vegas, Nevada. After selling her and her husband's business, Sporn discusses how she was then free to volunteer for Jewish and civic organizations, and the leisure to sculp and to write her memoir, Just Peek Over the Fence.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Leonard E. "Pat" Goodall conducted by Patrick Carlton on April 18, 2002 for the Las Vegas Rotary Club Oral History Project. In this interview, Goodall relates his early years in Warrensburg, Missouri and speaks at length about his Rotary Club activities. Next, he gives an overview of his education and subsequent university teaching career before he transitioned to university administration. He tells how he applied and was was hired to become president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 1979. He explains his thoughts and ideas for the institution, and highlights particular projects that he believes greatly benefit the institution, including the construction of the first engineering building, the first business school, and the Thomas & Mack Center. He then describes his career as a university professor after stepping down from the presidency in 1984 and his retirement in 2000.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bernard Lee Brown conducted by Marcus Brown for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Brown discusses his work at various gaming properties on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, owning his own shoe business, working at the Nevada Test Site, racial discrimination, and the role of unions. He also discusses the overall changes of Las Vegas over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Eugene Plaid conducted by Claytee D. White on June 03, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Plaid begins by describing his family history and his upbringing in Illinois, telling stories from his childhood and young adulthood concerning his jobs, education, and discrimination he faced as an African American. He discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1963, where he began his career as a waiter at the Hacienda Resort Hotel and Casino before later working at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, where he spent the majority of his career. Plaid details the celebrities he has served, including Frank Sinatra and Milton Berle, racial segregation and integration in Las Vegas, and the service industry in the casinos. Other topics of discussion include his children, organized crime in Las Vegas, and how Las Vegas has changed since the 1960s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Wanderer conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 09, 2016 and May 18, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Wanderer discusses his mom, Emilie Wanderer, the first female attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also talks about his career in the race car industry, becoming an attorney, and partnering with his mother in their own law practice, Wanderer & Wanderer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Velma Holland conducted by Beatrice Scheid on April 06, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Holland discusses her early life in Boulder City, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carmen Benedict conducted by Tammy M. Wallace on April 20, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Benedict discusses her upbringing and inspiration to be a teacher in California in the 1990s and 2000s. She reflects upon the process by which she went from being a student instructor to a teacher, and from a teacher to a principal. She discusses the philosophy that guided her throughout her career and influenced her interactions with students and educators, and challenges that she faced as an administrator. She also discusses her regular duties as principal, expectations that principals face, and her suggestions on how to be a successful principal.
Archival Collection